Doherty stands by past comments but says he has no issue with Ireland manager
Farrell's Lions party still likely to have strong Irish influence
Clancy kicks Blackrock to Leinster senior cup glory in tight battle with Terenure
INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Final Countdown
Murph's sideline cut: welcome to my world
“I love the fact that I went into a pub in town and a man I have never heard talk about the GAA was urgently asking me whether the Dubs are going to do it.”
SO I’M SITTING in the Davin Stand for the replay of Tyrone and Dublin in the 2005 All-Ireland quarter-finals.
The two seats in front of me are occupied by a father, and his son in his mid-20s. The stadium erupts as Peter Canavan, the Tyrone talisman, the most high-profile player of the previous 10 years, is brought on.
The father turns to his son and asks him – “who is that?” To which the son replies – “That’s Peter Canavan dad, remember he was the guy who scored all those points against us in 1995.”
I tell this story not to perpetuate the tired old stereotype of the ill-informed Dublin fan (okay, well maybe I did, a little) – what I really love about it was the implication that everything he did between 1995 and 2005 (when Tyrone didn’t play Dublin in the championship) didn’t matter. He played against Dublin, he disappeared off the radar for 10 years, and then he returned to take his place in the limelight, as far as my friend here was concerned.
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The fact remains that for many people in this country, Gaelic football (or ‘the gah’, if you absolutely must) only exists when Dublin are good at it. It would be great if all those people were as excited last year for Cork-Down as they are this year for Kerry-Dublin in next Sunday’s All-Ireland football final – but that’s not how it is.
For some reason these fly-by-nights rub some of us ‘lifers’ up the wrong way… but I love the fact that I went into a pub in town over the weekend and a man I have never heard talk about the GAA in my life was urgently asking me whether the Dubs are going to do it. He was in for a pint after going to the Leinster game, and will spend the winter in the RDS… but this week, the gah was the big story.
I was home in Galway this weekend, and the common refrain was – “are they gone mad for tickets in Dublin scan*?” And there’s no doubt there’s a big squeeze on at the moment, but a week after an All-Ireland hurling final only barely sold out, we’re hardly going to complain about that are we?
(* everyone from my home club of Milltown is called ‘scan’, everyone from Tuam is a ‘sham’, and everyone from Dunmore, which is six miles from both Tuam and Milltown, is a ‘shaft’. Imagine it as a replacement for buddy, or mate – so every conversation begins with “Well scan.” Don’t ask… it’s more fun that way.)
As for the game itself – calling it at this remove is tough, but I get the impression Kerry have the bit between their teeth this year. My common refrain to everyone who’s asked, including the Leinster fan in the Long Hall on Friday night, was Kerry by two. But I think we have every right to expect a great game. The Dubs will set up defensively, no doubt about that, but both teams have weaknesses at the back and I think it will be a day for forwards.
Back in style
I’m delighted to hear that Paul Galvin looks set to retake his place but all the indications are that he will come in for Donnacha Walsh, which is really tough luck for him. If that’s how it works out, Donnacha Walsh will have played every game this year, only to be dropped for the All-Ireland final… and that’s happened him once before, in 2009.
Harsh first time around, so I can only imagine what it would feel like this time; if it happens, of course.
Diarmuid Connolly’s return from suspension is a big plus for Dublin obviously, and will take some of the pressure off Bernard Brogan certainly, but he will be operating under the microscope now. His last two games have certainly been remarkable – seven points from play in a magisterial performance against Tyrone, and then nerves, frustration and a red card against Donegal – but this is the very biggest stage.
Which one of those two extremes he is closest to could well decide this final.
Oh and for those of you joining us late – Colm Cooper is the guy with the red hair. Cheap shots aside though; enjoy it folks.
This week Murph was – reminded of quite a few people who texted into the show (that’s the award-winning “Off The Ball”, weeknights 7-10pm on Newstalk 106-108fm by the way!!) asking me if Galway GAA has ever been lower after two rather lame exits by our senior hurling and football teams. Well they WERE lame exits, but there are 6 major All-Ireland titles to play for – minor, u-21 and senior, in hurling and football – and Galway have won three of them. So rumours of our demise are greatly exaggerated. On Twitter I would probably throw in a #smugbastard at this juncture…
Delighted for the lad! Would be great if in the future more young Irish players could come back for half a season play some LOI and go back with that bit of experience, seems to have done Eoghan no harm
Ambrose and boyata are both a liability,simunovic still an unknown quantity so I’d say it’s a toss up between o Connell and kolo to partner sviatchenko.would be great to see eoghan nail down a regular spot and continue his progress
Blueman, you’re right, the goal was his fault but his head didn’t go down after it as most young players would and he went from strength to strength as the game went on.
It’s a zonal marking system, therefore no man to lose. Although he could have been better for it so could every other defender in the box and if Gordon stayed on his line maybe it wouldn’t have been a goal so 100% is very harsh on the the young fella. For a 20 y/o making his first European start in a notoriously tough place to go he done very little wrong and was one of Celtics better players. If you were watching the match and not just the goal you would have seen that!
Fact is the goal was his fault, you can dress it up anyway you want,… football at the highest level is a harsh game, and goals decide games, if he wasn’t a young irish player playing for celtic , people wouldn’t be raving about his performance and making excuses for his defending for the goal… think we need to take off the green white and gold glasses here…. and I did watch the full game
Blueman there’s nobody bigging him up.if simunovic can be kept fit and playing regularly,o connell won’t get much game time.at the moment he’s the pick of a bad bunch and just a potentially good defender
Blueman get a grip ffs. He’s 20 years of age, made one or two small mistakes in the biggest game of his career to date. Start blaming the young man now and giving him abuse about the goal could shatter his confidence, that’s why he’s being praised. Attitudes like yours is the reason a lot of talented youngsters don’t make it in the game!
Hahaha…. one or two small mistakes???… wouldn’t call losing his man for a goal in a champions lge game a small mistake. … its quite a significant one. If young pros can’t take a bit of criticism they may as well forget about a career in the game…. and I thought he he will let a bit of criticism on the 42 get to him… if he he was that type of character he would never have made it this far
You said people wouldn’t be raving about his performance if he wasn’t Irish or playing for Celtic. Well this is an Irish site and an article about Celtic, so obviously people who have a better understanding of the game than yourself (and people who really watched the game) think he merits praise for his performance! And if you’re a Celtic supporter you should be ashamed of yourself :-/
I am not a celtic fan … I am looking at the game… which I watched in full from an unbiased point of view… it’d obvious your biased towards him, , and if u can’t see he was at fault for that goal than it is you who doesn’t really know that much about football….
Doherty stands by past comments but says he has no issue with Ireland manager
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Farrell's Lions party still likely to have strong Irish influence
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Delighted for the lad! Would be great if in the future more young Irish players could come back for half a season play some LOI and go back with that bit of experience, seems to have done Eoghan no harm
Ambrose and boyata are both a liability,simunovic still an unknown quantity so I’d say it’s a toss up between o Connell and kolo to partner sviatchenko.would be great to see eoghan nail down a regular spot and continue his progress
That is brilliant news for Celtic and Ireland.
I watched the match – O’Connell showed great character throughout the game.
Can’t but read Rogers interview in his voice
Lads…. were ye watching a different game,,, he was 100% to blame for the goal…. lost his man completely
Blueman, you’re right, the goal was his fault but his head didn’t go down after it as most young players would and he went from strength to strength as the game went on.
It’s a zonal marking system, therefore no man to lose. Although he could have been better for it so could every other defender in the box and if Gordon stayed on his line maybe it wouldn’t have been a goal so 100% is very harsh on the the young fella. For a 20 y/o making his first European start in a notoriously tough place to go he done very little wrong and was one of Celtics better players. If you were watching the match and not just the goal you would have seen that!
O Connell did well all things taken into account,good result to take back to glasgow
Fact is the goal was his fault, you can dress it up anyway you want,… football at the highest level is a harsh game, and goals decide games, if he wasn’t a young irish player playing for celtic , people wouldn’t be raving about his performance and making excuses for his defending for the goal… think we need to take off the green white and gold glasses here…. and I did watch the full game
Blueman there’s nobody bigging him up.if simunovic can be kept fit and playing regularly,o connell won’t get much game time.at the moment he’s the pick of a bad bunch and just a potentially good defender
Blueman get a grip ffs. He’s 20 years of age, made one or two small mistakes in the biggest game of his career to date. Start blaming the young man now and giving him abuse about the goal could shatter his confidence, that’s why he’s being praised. Attitudes like yours is the reason a lot of talented youngsters don’t make it in the game!
Hahaha…. one or two small mistakes???… wouldn’t call losing his man for a goal in a champions lge game a small mistake. … its quite a significant one. If young pros can’t take a bit of criticism they may as well forget about a career in the game…. and I thought he he will let a bit of criticism on the 42 get to him… if he he was that type of character he would never have made it this far
You said people wouldn’t be raving about his performance if he wasn’t Irish or playing for Celtic. Well this is an Irish site and an article about Celtic, so obviously people who have a better understanding of the game than yourself (and people who really watched the game) think he merits praise for his performance! And if you’re a Celtic supporter you should be ashamed of yourself :-/
I am not a celtic fan … I am looking at the game… which I watched in full from an unbiased point of view… it’d obvious your biased towards him, , and if u can’t see he was at fault for that goal than it is you who doesn’t really know that much about football….